Much of software used in business today takes the form of complex graphical user interfaces (GUIs) associated with applications. Complex GUIs allow users to perform many tasks simultaneously while maintaining the context of the rest of their work; however, such systems are often mouse- and keyboard-intensive, which can be problematic or even impossible to use for many people, including those with physical disabilities.
Speech recognition allows a user to provide input to an application using voice. Just as typing on a keyboard or clicking using a mouse may provide input to an application, speech recognition allows a user to provide spoken input to an application. The speech recognition process may be performed by a speech recognition engine. A speech recognition engine may be used to process spoken input and translate it into a form that may be used and understood by an application.